Influence of negative mood states on moral decision-making

Abstract

Utilitarian behaviours sometimes require harmful actions be performed to benefit the perceived ‘greater good’. Humans are often averse to such actions when they involve inflicting direct harm upon others, regardless of the positive outcomes that are achieved. Predominant theory proposes that anti-utilitarian biases stem from negative emotions evoked by moral dilemmas, which override considerations of the ‘greater good’ produced by utilitarian behaviour. This study examined associations between utilitarian judgment and common domains of negative mood. Participants (N ​= ​73) responded to self-report measures of depression, anxiety and stress-tension, followed by a moral dilemma paradigm. The ..